Hickory, N.C. ? The Barton College Men?s Basketball Team (3-1) triumphed over Lenoir-Rhyne University (1-3) in double overtime by a 103-92 score Tuesday evening at Shuford Memorial Gymnasium.
Barton?s Eddie Kershaw (Youngstown, Ohio) led the way for the Bulldogs with a game-high 31 points to go along with 10 rebounds to complete the double-double. Kershaw also hit 11-of-13 shots and scored 13 points in overtime to lead Barton to the win. The Bulldogs? Jaren Haley (Woodbridge, Va.) added 19 points as Barton finished with five players scoring in double figures.
Lenoir-Rhyne, which suffered its third straight defeat, was paced by junior forward D.J. Blackmon (Albemarle, N.C.). Blackmon tallied a team-high 24 points and hit 10-fo-11 free throw attempts while freshman guard Kameko Walls (Winston-Salem, N.C.) added 14 points off the bench for L-R despite the setback.
Barton raced out to a 33-18 lead to start the game but Lenoir-Rhyne reeled off 14 straight points late in the half to cut the advantage to one at 33-32 with 1:40 left before the break on a field goal by senior guard Ryan Crawford (Stuarts Draft, Va.).
The Bulldogs, which lead at halftime by a 38-34 score, push its advantage to 50-38 on a three-point play by Kershaw at the 17:16 mark of the second half.
Lenoir-Rhyne, however, charged back with a 27-9 run capped off by a pair of free throws from Blackmon with 5:21 left in regulation.
The two teams then battled down to the stretch and a lay-up by Kershaw with nine seconds left forced overtime tied at 76.
Blackmon hit one of two free throw attempts with under two seconds remaining in the first overtime to push the contest to a second extra frame tied at 86-all.
Barton then took control in the second overtime by scoring the first eight points culminated by another three-point play from Kershaw with 2:36 remaining and the Bulldogs were able to hold on from there.
Lenoir-Rhyne travels to Augusta, Ga., to face Augusta State Saturday at 4 p.m., while Barton hosts Erskine on Saturday, December 5, at 7:30 p.m., in a league match-up.
